Platen printing-press.



PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

A. LAGERMAN.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 7, 1903.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

A LAGERMAN.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1903.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No 792,523. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

V A. LAGERMAN.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLIOATION 11.31) rm. 1, 1903.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3- No. 792,523. PATENTED JUNE 13,1905. A. LAGERMAN. PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1903.

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A. LAG-BRMAN.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1903.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

A. LAGBRMAN.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1903 7 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

No. 792,523. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905. A. LAGERMAN.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 7, 1903.

I SHEETS-SHEET 7.

UNITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

ALEXANDER LAGERMAN, OF JONKOPING, SWVEDEN.

PLATEN PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,523, dated. June 13, 1905.

Application filed February 7, 1903. Serial No. 142,289.

To (all 1071 0712 it 'llhr/[I/ concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER LAG ERMAN, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, and a resident of Jonkoping, in the Kingdom of Sweden, have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Platen Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of platenpresses for printing, and has for its object to improve the means for inserting the sheet to be printed between the platen and type-bed of the press. Heretofore it has been customary to insert the sheet into the press from above by hand, and this mode has the disadvantage that when the press is running at a high rate of speed the sheet of paper, especially when quite thin, is liable to crease or fold in consequence of its lower edge not having time to escape, the weight of the sheet being relied on to keep it flat and smooth.

According to the presentinvention the sheet, gripped and held at its front edge, is carried up between the platen and the form from below. During this movement the sheet is more or less strained or stretched, and in consequence is kept fiat. The feeding of the sheets is effected automatically by means of a gripper mechanism or carrier traveling in a curved path about the receded platen, said carrier conveying the sheet from the feed-table up to the face of the platen in position for the impression and there leaving it. After the printing or impression is effected another gripper mechanism or carrier seizes and conveys the printed sheet to the delivery-table. The attendant has only to supply sheets to the feed-table and remove the printed sheets from the delivery-table, and consequently he can easily attend two or more presses.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure l is a side elevation of the mechanism. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the parts in another position. Fig. 3 is a front elevation as seen from the right. Fig. 4 is a plan. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of devices pertaining to the platen. Figs. 7, S, and 9 are detail views of the gripper mechanism for feeding the sheets. Figs. 10, 11, 11, and 12 are detail views of the delivery mechanism.

Figs. 13 and 14 are detail views of the parts which conduct the delivery mechanism. Figs. 15 and 16 are detail views illustrating the mechanism foropening the gripper. Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating the relative movements of the grippers and platen.

1 is the driving-shaft, on which is a pinion 2, which gears with a spurwheel 3 on a crankshaft 4. This shaft carries at one end a crank 5, and the wheel 3 by means of a wrist-pin 6 forms a corresponding crank at the other end of the shaft. From these cranks connectingrods 7 extend to the platen 8, the arms 9 of which turn pivotally about studs 10, situated at the lower part of the machine-frame.

The above-described mechanism imparts the ordinary swinging or vibratory movements to the platen from the full-open position seen in Fig. 1 to the closed position when the im-' pression is made by the form in the type-bed 11, as seen in Fig. 2. The inking-rollers for the form are mounted to operate in the usual way and are not shown in detail in the drawings. These rollers 12 are merely indicated by circles in Fig. 1.

The sheets or the like to be printed are placed on a feed-table 13, Figs. 3 and 4:. The press has two of such tables placed side by side and adapted to be fed or moved upwardly independently of each other in a verticallymovable magazine 14 for printing from differout forms simultaneously. From the pile on the table the topmost sheet is raised at its description thereof will be given hereinafter. The up-and-down motion of the magazine 14. is imparted by a rock-shaft 19 in the frame and provided with arms 20, in which is mounted a shaft 100 101. To this shaft are coupled the arms 14 of the magazine 14. The shaft 19 is rocked by a connecting-rod 21, which couples an arm 22 on said shaft 19 with one of the platen arms 9. The bellows is expanded by springs 23 and is compressed by a bell-crank lever 24, this latter being rocked by a roller-stud on an arm 25 on the shaft 4.

The gripper mechanism, which transports the sheet from the table 13 to the platen, (seen best in Figs. 2, 7, 8, and 9,) is constructed as follows: A shaft 26 is mounted at the top of the frame and provided with two curved arms 27, provided each at its end with an extension-arm 28, of which one is constructed in the form of a lever, as shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 8 is a section at (L 7) in Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 is a section at 0 (Z in Fig. 7. The shorter arms 28 are connected by a cross-bar 29, which provides a supgort for the fixed jaws 30 of a set of grippers, the other or movable jaws 31 of same, which have bosses 32, that fit and turn about a rod 33, extending across between the arms 28. On the bosses of the jaws 31 are arms 34, connected by springs 35 with a crossbar 36 on the arms 28. The springs tend to hold the gripper-jaws closed and also to hold opening-lugs 37 on the bosses of respective jaws 31 up to lugs 38 on a rock-shaft 39 in the arms 28. The shaft 39 has on it an arm 40, and when the shaft is rocked by moving said arm 40 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 9 the lugs 38 act on the lugs 37 to open the grippers. The whole set of grippers and their operating devices can be turned slightly about the pivotal axis 41 of the arms 28; but it is held normally in a certain position by a spring 96, mounted on the arm 27 and bearing on the extension-arm 28, as seen in Fig. 8. This position is determined by a stud 43, Fig. 9, set in the arm 27 and engaging a slot 42 in one extremity of the leverarm 28. The movement of the gripper mechanism as a whole about the shaft 26 as an axis is effected by an arm 44 on said shaft 26 and a link 45, which couples this arm with a crank-pin 46. This pin is carried by the pin 6, but is eccentric thereto. These pins 6 and 46 are rigid with respect to the wheel 3 and have the same throw; but as the wheel 3 turns to the left, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 17, the pin 6 has lead and the grippers do not follow exactly the movements of the platen. In consequence of this the grippers during their upward feeding movement pass close to the face of the platen, while in their downward returning movement they are at a greater distance therefrom. This will be understood from inspection of Fig. 17. When the pin 46 is at a, the grippers ,r are near the platen 8 and moving upward; but when they descend to the same position (the pin 46 being then at 1)) the platen 8 will have moved farther back, as clearly indicated in dotted lines.

In the position of the parts seen in Fig. 2 the platen is drawn up to the form or typebed 11 and is making an impression. At this moment the grippers are above the platen. hen by the receding movement of the platen sufficient space is produced between it and the typebed or form, the grippers pass down through this space and continue their travel in a curved path until they come close to the pile of sheets on the table 13, as seen in Fig. 1. At this moment the arm 40, Figs. 7, 9, 15, and 16, which has on it a laterally-projecting lug 40, is rocked by said lug riding over a cam 47, pivotally mounted on the frame at 47 and this serves to open the gripper-jaws 31. It may be explained here with reference to Figs. 15 and 16 that the former shows the cam 47 in side elevation and the latter shows it detached in plan. This cam turns freely on the pin 47 and rests normally on a stoppin or shoulder 47. The open gripper-jaws now advance and embrace the edge of the topmost sheet on the pile, (said sheet being raised by the suction-mouthpiece 18,) and the lug 40* then passes over and beyond the cam 47 and drops, thus allowing the grippers to close on the sheet and grip it. The grippers now return, making their feeding movement and drawing the sheet with them from the pile. In moving back the lug 4O passes under the cam 47 and lifts it up, the lug itself being then inactive. hen the grippers shall have brought the upper edge of the sheet nearly to the top of the platen, the latter will have moved up so that its face is quite close to the sheet. little way apart, and as they rise carrying the sheet they pass between spaced receivinggrippers on the upper edge of the platen. These receiving-grippers consist of a series of rounded fixed jaws 48, Figs. 5 and 6, on the platen, on which bear, respectively, spring movable jaws 49, carried by a transverse bar 50, mounted to rock in bearings on the platen. A spring 51 on this bar bears on the back of the platen and tends to hold the jaws 49 pressed up to the jaws 48. On the bar 50 is an arm 52, and one arm of a lever 53, fulcrumed on the platen, takes behind the arm 52, while the other arm of said lever, which is rounded at its free end, is in the path of a lug 54, Figs. 7 and 8, carried by one of the arms 27. As the main grippers carry the sheet upward the lug 54 acts on the lever 53 and arm 52 to open the receiving-grippers, and the edge of the sheet enters. the latter; but when the said lug passes 011 from the end of said lever the spring 51 closes the spring-jaws 49 on the sheet.

The main grippers 3O 31 are set a' As the main grippers move on upward the This latter is seen in Fig. 2. The pivoting at 11 enables the grippers to adjust themselves to the movement. After the impression is effected and the platen has receded the printed sheet is released and delivered on an upper or delivery table 69. This is effected by a gripper device. (Illustrated in detail in Figs. 10, 1 1, and 12 and seen in place in Figs. 1, 2, and On a rock-shaft 58, low down in the frame, are arms 59, connected by a frame consisting of two short arms 61, pivotally connected to the respective arms 59 at 62 and tied together by a transverse bar 60. The bar 60 is rigid with the arms 61 and is provided with fixed gripper-jaws 65. Another bar 63 is mounted to rock in the arms 61 on journals at its ends which have hearings in the arms 61, and this bar carries the movable jaws 6 1 of the gripper. A spring 65 on the bar 60 holds the jaws 64 pressed up elastically to the respective jaws 65. The jaws 64 are not movable with respect to the bar 63, but move by the rocking of said bar on its journals. On the bar 63 are rigidly secured arms 66 and-67 for opening the grippers, as will be explained. Hung between the arms 61 is a swinging bar 68 for pressing down the sheet on the delivery-table 69. This feature is mainly to insure detachment of the sheet from the grippers 64 65. The parts participating in the movements of the delivery-grippers 64 65 are best seen in detail in Figs. 13 and 14. A trackway 70 is secured to the frame of the press and has at one end acurved extension 71, which is pivotally connected to the trackways 7 O at 72. There is also a trackway 73 on the platen, which when the platen is in the position seen in Fig. 1 is nearly on a level with the trackway 70. The frame of the delivery-grippers (see Figs. 10 and 12) has a roller 7 1, which rolls on the track 70, and a roller 75, which rolls when the grippers are above the platen on the platen-trackway 73. The shaft 58 is rocked through an arm 90 thereon, coupled by a link 91 to one of the platen-arms 9. \Vhen the dclivery-grippers have reached the proper position with respect to the platen, the gripper-jaws 641 are opened, moving in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 11 by the rocking of the bar 63. This is effected by the arm 67 being drawn over a pivoted cam 76 on the frame, which is stopped from rocking in one direction. W hen the open jaws 64 65 shall have advanced between the pairs of gripper jaws on the platen and received the edge of the printed sheet, the arm 67 passes or draws off from the cam 76, the gripper-jaws 64: are closed on the sheet by the spring 65 and the further advance of this gripper mechanism slips the edge of the sheet out from the grippers on the platen. This is the limit of the movement in this direction. The delivery-grippers 6 1 65 are now lifted away from the face of the platen, so that they will clear the spring-jaws 19, and are then caused to recede. This lifting is effected by the means seen in Figs. 13 and 1 1. A curved piece 79, secured to the curved track extension 71 by plates 80 and 81, has on it an upright arm or branch which is adapted to be impinged upon by a lug 7 8, secured to one of the arms 27 of the main gripper, so that at the proper moment the piece 79 will be rocked and will swing with it the track extension 71, and as the roller 74 of the delivery-grippers will then be on said track the said grippers will be elevated or lifted, as stated. Fig. 13 shows the position of the parts, and it will be noted in this figure that the printed sheet 82 is lifted clear of the platen and can be carried away to the delivery-table. WVhen the pressure of the lug 78 is removed, a spring 98, mounted on the trackway and bearing on the plate 80, returns the trackway 71 and its connected parts to their normal position. When the delivery-grippers shall have carried the sheet 82 back and over the delivery-table 69, Fig. 2, these grippers are opened by the arm 66, Fig. 11, wiping over a stud 83 (at the right in Fig. 3) on the press-frame. The bar 68 then impinges through a shoulder 8 1, Fig. 11, on one of its frame-arms on a stud 85 on the trackway 70, which swings said bar 68 and causes the released sheet 82 to take its place on the delivery-table. It may be explained that the stud 85, Fig. 14:, is quite long and projects out laterally from the track 70 into the path of the shoulder 84 in such a manner as to swing the frame 68, the latter thus pressing the sheet downward toward the delivery-table and insuring its release from the grippers.

From what has been explained it will be seen that the sheet is carried always in the same direction from the feed-table to the platen and from the platen to the delivery-table by automatic means and that there are three sets of grippers employed-namely, the main or feeding grippers, the platen-grippers, and the delivery-grippers. This prevents the sheet from being folded or crumpled. The platen has the usual stripper 93 for removing the sheet from the form after the impression. This stripper is similar in construction to that heretofore known; but the rock-shaft (at 94 in Fig. 2) is mounted on the platen-arms. The inking mechanism may have turning plates or rollers.

As the height of the pile of sheets on the feed-tables 13 13 is being gradually reduced by the successive removal of the sheets these tables must be raised as the sheets are removed, so that the top sheet will always be at the same level in order that the main grippers may always act properly. Any mechanism desired may be employed for this purpose, that shown herein forming no essential part of the present invention. only be briefly described.

As before stated, the magazine 1 1 is suspended by arms 20 from arms on a rock-shaft This device will 19 in the frame. The magazine consists of a flat back plate and two uprights 14*, having bearings above on the respective alined shafts 101. The feed-tables 13 bear slidably on the back plate of the magazine and are supported each on an arm or bracket 103 on an upright rack-bar 105, which slides in guides 106 on the uprights ME The table 13 has at its bottom a headed stem 102, which plays through the bracket 103, and the table is yieldingl y supported on a spring 104k. The teeth on the rack-bars engage, respectively, with pinions 125 on the respective alined shafts 100 101. If the tables 13 are to be used as one table for printing a large or wide sheet, the shafts 100 101 are coupled together by a coupling 108, having pins 109, Fig. 3; but if the press has two forms for printing two sheets at once fed from the two tables 13 independently then the said shafts will be uncoupled. The feeding upward of a table 13 by small increments may be effected by a pawl engaging a ratchet-wheel 107 on the same shaft with the pinion 125. The pawl is carried by a lever 111, fulcrumed on the-frame, Fig. 1, and a roller 112 on its end is acted upon by a cam on the shaft 26. This cam rocks and imparts the proper movement to the pawl. The lever 111 is coupled to a rod 121, and this red is drawn downward by a spring 122. This holds the roller 112 up to the rocking cam.

It may be proper to state here (see Fig. 11) that the lever-like cam 76 may rock freely in one direction to allow the arm 67 to pass it; but when the latter is drawn over the cam in the other direction the cam cannot yield, but is stopped by a suitable detent.

The type-bed 11 referred to herein is the bed to receive the form of type with which the printing is effected. There is nothing novel in this feature.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with the oscillating platen, of the means for supplying sheets one by one thereto, said means comprising the swinging arms 27, means for swinging said arms, the shorter arms 28 pivotally connected to the arms 27, the tie-bar connecting the arms 28, the fixed grimier-jaws on said tie-bar, the rod 33, the movable gripper-jaws 31 on said rod, and means for opening and closing the jaws 31, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the platen and means for imparting the oscillating movements to the same, of a sheet-feeding mechanism, means for moving said feeding mechanism upwardly between the platen and form for supplying and downwardly between said parts on the return movement, the operative mechanism of the platen and sheet-feeding mechanisms having their respective crankpins set eccentrically, one with the other, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the main crankshaft having cranks with crank-pins 6 and 4-6 set eccentrically, one with the other, the pin 6 being in the lead, of the oscillating platen operated from the pin 6, and an oscillating sheet-feeding mechanism, operated from the pin a6, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with the type-bed and the oscillating platen, of the swinging arms 27, the short arms 28 pivotally attached to the arms 27, the gripper mechanism carried by said arms 28, the guideway, and the roller 55 on the carrying-frame, which moves along said guideway, the disposition of the parts being such that the paths in which the grippers and the platen move intersect, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the type-bed and the oscillating platen, of a gripper mechanism for supplying sheets to the platen, said mechanism comprising oscillating or swinging arms 27, the shorter arms 28, coupled to the respective arms 27, the tie-bar 29 connecting said arms, the rod 33 between the arms 28, the rock-shaft 39 in said arms, the fixed gripperjaws 30, the movable gripper-jaws 31, turning on the rot 33 and provided each with a spring 35 and opening lug 37, lugs 38 on the shaft 39 and adapted to impinge on the lugs 37, an arm 40 on the shaft 39, said arm being pro vided with a lug 10 and means for rocking the shaft 39 to open the grippers, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the oscillating platen, and a swinging gripper mechanism which supplies sheets to the platen from below, of a spring gripper mechanism on the platen to receive and hold the sheets during the impression, and means carried. by the feeding gripper mechanism for opening the platengrippers to receive the sheet, substantially as Set forth.

7. The combination, with the oscillating platen, automatic means for supplying sheets to the platen for printing, and means for holding the sheet in place on the platen during the impression, of automatic means for removing the sheet from the platen, said means comprising the oscillating arms 59, the grippers carried by said arms and provided with a roller 7 aka pivotally-mounted track 71 for said roller, and means carried by the said sheet-supplying means for rocking said track 71 and thereby lifting said grippermechanism away from the platen, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, with the oscillating platen and its arms, of the rock-shaft 58 in the frame, the arm 90 thereon, the link 91 coupling said arm to one of the platen-arms, for rocking said shaft synchronously with the oscillations of the platen, the arms 59 on said shaft, the gripper bearing-frame carried on the ends of said arms 59, the fixed gripperjaws 65 in said frame, the movable gripperjaws 64 in said frame, the spring 65 holding said jaws closed, and means on the pressframe for opening said jaws, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with the oscillating platen, oscillating means provided With grippers for carrying the printed sheets from the platen to the delivery-table, and the said table, of means for detaching the sheet from said grippers when they open and press it down upon the table, said means comprising the swinging bar 68, provided With a shoulder 84, and the fixed stud 85, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed 5 my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER LAGERMAN.

WVitnesses ERNST SvAN VIsT, ROBERT APELGREN. 

